Sometime in 1911, the Rex Theater opens for business on the corner of 4th and Washington streets in downtown Olympia. Erected by J. K. and L. B. Nave, the 2,800 square foot venue is constructed entirely of concrete and seats nearly 400 people.
According to its own publicity, the Rex was Olympia’s leading motion picture house, “a capital house in the Capitol of the State of Washington.” Although films seem to have been the prime attraction, the venue boasted both a stage area and some theatrical scenery, not to mention a Weber baby grand piano. Opera chairs lined the inside of the house, with a pair of three-foot aisles running down either side of the interior. The Rex’s screen was approximately 11 feet high and 14 feet wide.
Representing a total investment of $6,000, the Rex also boasted several special features for the benefit of patrons, including a dissolving stereopticon slide projector and an internal spotlight.
Sources:
“Rex Theater, Olympia, Washington,”The Moving Picture World, June 7, 1913, Page 1017; “Rex Theater, Olympia, Washington,” The Moving Picture World, July 12, 1913, p. 174.
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